


Heart Soothing

by AerithFaremis



Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: ClerithWeek2020, F/M, take you home
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:20:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26300305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AerithFaremis/pseuds/AerithFaremis
Summary: When the final exams arrive, a concerned Aerith discovers that she can trust someone very special to her.(Alternative Universe)[Clerith Week 2020 - Day 6 - Prompt: Take You Home]
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife
Comments: 6
Kudos: 27





	Heart Soothing

**CLERITH WEEK DAY 6 (09/5)**

**Prompt: Take You Home**

****

**-Heart Soothing-**

The last exams that would close the first University year were getting closer, and the library was full of students who, nervously, skimmed through the books, highlighted the notes and discussed with their classmates the questions and data they had to see if they had managed to memorize everything well.

At one of the tables, in the room where one could speak aloud, there was a group of friends who attended the same Biology and Ecology degree. They had been studying in silence and with great concentration for a long time, because tomorrow would be the last exam and it was the most important one. The test would determine if they could pass the course.

Barret, the oldest in the group, put a hand to his forehead and frowned. After having spent so many hours studying, the letters went round and round like a spiral.

“Agh, I can’t go on any longer! I’m so tired” he complained, making himself comfortable in the chair and rubbing his shoulders with his hands to relieve the stiffness. He skimmed his sweet brown – eyed gaze and mumbled “even if I tried, I couldn’t memorize a single letter. I’d won’t be able to recite the whole book in one go!”

“I’m sick of it too”, said Jessie, Barret’s girlfriend, sighing “but unlike you, honey, I can’t learn the energy types. I guess I’ll just leave this part blank”.

“Come on, Jess, don’t say that” intervened Biggs “you’re the one who’s always experimenting in lab classes, I’m sure you handle this perfectly. Besides, if there’s anyone I’m worried about at this table, it’s Cloud. Look at him”, he pointed to the blond guy right in front of him, with his earbuds on, as he turned his pencil around the fingers of his left hand.

Jessie giggled and camouflaged it with her hands, and Barret laughed loudly as he added:

“Cloud boy always has his head in the clouds”. Biggs looked at him in confusion as Barret waited for everyone to laugh at his wordplay, but there was a deathly silence. Jessie patted him on the back and said:

“Don’t worry, I thought it was funny”.

“Have you finished talking about me?” asked Cloud then, causing a shock to his friends, who thought they weren’t being heard.

“Hey! Aren’t you supposed to be listening to music?” Barret spat, running his hand along his neck.

“I wear them to isolate the _noise_ , not to hear music”, explained Cloud, taking off his earbuds and putting them aside.

“Then why don’t you buy some real earplugs?” asked Biggs.

“I’m sure you think it looks cooler and more interesting that way” joked Jessie, winking at him.

“Maybe”, said the blond man, shrugging his shoulders as he underlined a word from his notes that he considered important.

“Hey, Aerith” said Jessie “is everything all right over there? You’ve been quiet all afternoon and that’s not normal at all. Other times you’d be cheering us up and helping us out with a few questions!”

Jessie was a little worried about her friend Aerith. Even though she wouldn’t admit it, Aerith was self-conscious about her studies: she wanted to get good marks, learn a lot and improve every day, and she wouldn’t let anyone help or worry about her, because that was a role she loved to play too: she was always on the go helping her friends with their homework and giving them all the support they needed when they were having a bad day. In the end, Aerith was the best friend anyone could have, and Jessie wanted to show her that sometimes she had to let them worry about her, too.

Cloud left his pencil swinging in the air as he waited with maximum attention for Aerith’s response. To him, she was…she was someone very special. When he first arrived at the University, Cloud had no friends, no one to spend his coffee or free time with. And although he was a reserved person, he also longed for the affection of others. The day he met Aerith was one of the happiest days of his life: she offered him a smile and asked him a question about the minerals she couldn’t solve, and he helped her. And since then, they had become close friends and he had been part of Aerith’s group of companions, which included Barret, Jessie and Biggs. And, most importantly, the green – eyed girl had offered him one of the most valuable things for him: affection and understanding. So, he always made sure she was okay.

“Yes…it’s nothing, really”, sighed Aerith. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll go home.”

“Are you sure it’s nothing?” insisted Barret, worried. “You know you can tell us anything”.

Aerith smiled and shook her head as she closed her books and put them in her bag.

“Yes, I’m fine…” she repeated, though it didn’t sound very convincing. “I’ll go home and rest a bit, I think my head hurts…”

“I’ll take you home!” Cloud then offered, leaping up and looking at his friend. Barret, Biggs and Jessie looked at each other with a knowing smile but said nothing, watching the situation “I, hm… I need to rest too, so I don’t mind going with you”.

“Are you sure, Cloud? My house is many streets away from you and…”

“Yeah, it doesn’t matter” he insisted, with seriousness.

“Great! Thank you, Cloud”, she said, with a soft smile, as the blond quickly picked up his materials and shouldered his backpack. “See you!” said Aerith lovingly to the rest of her friends. Cloud waved a hand and left too, following her.

“I am telling you…these two are going to be sweethearts one of these days”, said Jessie, with a dreamy look on her face as she watched them go.

Cloud and Aerith left the library and the soft sunset breeze refreshed their faces. They took a few steps in a comfortable silence for both of them, for it wasn’t the first time they had walked home together. But, a little later, Cloud broke the silence:

“Hey, are you okay? Jessie’s right, you were very quiet”. He looked at her, noting her features and expression, trying to find some clue as to what might be making her sad.

“I guess I can’t hide it anymore, can I?” she said, releasing a soft laugh that didn’t reach her eyes.

They went through a few more streets. The way from the library to Aerith’s house could be done on foot, and it was a pleasant walk, for nearby there was a park, trees and flowers, and a cheerful atmosphere which filled the air with a certain near – summer joy.

“Tomorrow’s exam is very important to me – not just for upgrading, but for the special Midgar scholarship – you know, you get it if you get an A in everything, and I want to help mom with the college payments”, she muttered.

“Then you’ll get it for sure. There’s no one who knows the topics better than you”, he said, with a tender smile, but Aerith was still feeling down. She stopped on her way and looked at her friend with a wince of despair.

“No, Cloud, this time it’s different. This last topic – I can’t learn all the definitions, or concept maps, or…” the girl babbled, frowning and biting her lip, nervously. She was feeling anxious about that exam, she wanted everything to be perfect and not to mess up and…

Cloud took her delicate hand in his and looked at her intently. Aerith felt the warmth of his hands and a wave of calm began to wash over her from head to toe. He had this different way of making her feel calm and making her worries go away.

“Aerith. I’ve seen you study every day, doing your best. Hey, I know you’re gonna make it through this test. You know what you need? Rest”, he said, this time by putting one hand on her cheek and circling his thumb. “You need to get all that stress out of your system or you’re going to collapse”.

The young woman sighed, realizing that he was right, and smiled.

“You’re right. I think I have to start believing in myself more…” she said.

“You should. I already do”, he admitted. “Come on, I’ll take you home”. He was about to let go of his hand when Aerith stopped him, holding it with a slightly firmer grip.

“Wait, Cloud…can we go…hand in hand? It’s something that soothes me”.

He blushed a little as he listened to his heartbeat in his ears. The idea of walking to Aerith’s house together holding hands was something that made him very content, but at the same time, it made him a little nervous. What if his hands were sweating, or if he squeezed too hard without knowing it? What it after a while his hands stopped feeling soft or…?

“Come on!” she giggled, as she interlaced her fingers with his and they went back on their way. He felt himself in paradise with the delicate touch of that tiny hand linked to his and he never wanted to let go. His worries vanished when from time to time Aerith looked at him and smiled or squeezed his hand. As they walked, they talked about how they longed for the summer holidays to come, about future plans they could make with Barret and company, or about places they would like to travel to, and almost without realizing it, they arrived at the girl’s house.

“Here we are!” announced Aerith, slowly releasing Cloud’s hand to brush against the door with her fingers. She turned and the two of them were silent for a few moments, looking for some way to prolong the moment and spend a little more time together. But tomorrow’s exam was important and they needed to rest…

“So…” they said at once when they realized it, they let out a little laugh and stare at each other, their cheeks blushing.

“Thanks for walking me home, Cloud. You always make me so happy!”

Aerith took a few steps and tiptoed over, kissing his cheek. Cloud felt he was about to faint, but he kept his composure.

“See you tomorrow, Cloud!” she waved goodbye, walking into her house with a smile.

“Se…See you!” he replied, before she closed the door.

_You make me very happy too…_

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you very much for reading! :D


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